Wireless communication networks operate by sharing resources among many mobile devices operating in the communication network. Certain types of wireless communication networks are implemented to support cell-based high speed services under certain standards such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (“3GPP2”) Long Term Evolution (“LTE”) standard (“3G LTE”), the Ultra-Mobile Broadband (“UMB”) broadband wireless standard, and the IEEE 802.16 Broadband Wireless Access standards (often referred to as WiMAX or less commonly as WirelessMAN or Air Interface Standard).
The wireless communication network may provide communication services to a number of areas called “macro-cells” or “cell sites.” Within a macro-cell, a base station (BS) or base transceiver station (BTS) is coupled to a gateway or core network via a wired backhaul connection using a modem, and may transmit data to and receive data from mobile terminals that are located within the cell. In order for operators to provide wireless high speed data services, deployment of new cell sites for networks, such as fourth generation (4G) networks, is needed. However, as operators role out 4G networks they are faced with a delicate balancing act. They must invest heavily to role out a new air interface knowing that the initial subscriber density will be very low and their investment will not create significant amounts of revenue for several years. Most operators would typically expect their 4G investment to generate a net loss until a minimum subscriber density is achieved. To minimize the impact, operators would likely choose to role out 4G networks in dense urban centers initially to achieve a critical subscriber density relatively fast, and as these sites become profitable they would extend the coverage to increasingly less populated, less profitable areas. Although such a cautious deployment method makes sense, inter-operator competition for foot print may force operators to be more aggressive, take more risk, and deploy 4G networks aggressively in an effort to gain market share. Given this economic reality, technology which minimizes the business risk by allowing more coverage at a lower initial cost, thereby allowing operators to break even sooner or reduce their exposure, would be extremely attractive to the network operators. Further, the costs of deploying a cell site include capital expenses (e.g., installation, new tower build, equipment, etc.) and operational expenses (e.g., site lease, site maintenance, BTS transmission, etc.). It has been observed that operational expenses have dominated in recent years due to a decrease in capital expenses, especially when the capital expenses are amortized over several years. Two of the major operational expenses which drive the cost of ownership of a wireless site are typically rental fees for the site followed by the back haul cost. Technologies which help reduce the rental fee by simplifying the requirements of the system or which eliminate the cost of backhaul by relaying the backhaul information over the air to a central aggregation point are therefore beneficial to the wireless operator.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved apparatus, system, and method that minimizes the upfront risks and operating costs associated with deployment of a wireless network.